As you have probably read in other articles, insulin plays an important part in building muscle. Insulin transports nutrients to the organs in the body. This includes muscle cells and fat cells.

"While insulin is driving amino acids and glucose into muscle cells, it appears it also prevents the 'leaking out' of these nutrients from the muscle cells that usually occur in response to training or illness."3

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Insulin & Supplements: What You Need To Know!I've talked a bit about insulin in the past. I'm going to review my previous article previously published on Bodybuilding.com before delving into some new info. [ Click here to learn more. ]

I asked a friend of mine what he knows about insulin. He is a big time powerlifter and is studying this kind of stuff in college (I forget the names of his classes).

This is what he had to say:

"It is an anabolic/lipogenic hormone triggered by your pancreas upon the consumption of carbohydrates which stores the consumed carbohydrate as glycogen, a glucose polymer.

The glycogen is stored in muscles and the liver to which we hold about 1600-1800 calories from glycogen max. It is said that after carbo loading, that number can jump as high as 2800 kcal."

So what kind of carbs should you load with? The answer is really quite simple... simple carbs.

Carbohydrates

To create an insulin spike after training, a simple carbohydrate (sugars) should be consumed. Some examples of good sugary carbs to consume after a workout are, honey and fruit juices. The spike created will increase protein synthesis.1

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Carbohydrate Metabolism!Like all things, there is much debate about the amount of carbohydrates one needs. One's carbohydrate intake should be decided after taking many other factors into consideration... [ Click here to learn more. ]

Protein

Your body also needs protein after a workout. It is important to get protein into your system as fast as you can, so doesn't it make sense to intake a protein that is absorbed quickly. Hydrolyzed whey isolates takes about 20 minutes to be absorbed.1

Whole foods can take hours to digest. "Recent research reviews indicate a protein/carb mix stimulates insulin and other anabolic hormones levels far greater than just carbohydrates alone."3

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Glutamine and Cysteine

These two amino acids are very important in determining whether you lose or gain muscle from weight training. Cysteine and glutamine are found in most protein supplements.

"Studies of blood and whole body amino acid biochemistry show that low plasma levels and a low glutamine/cysteine ration in blood and tissue forecast muscle loss in many people. This has been demonstrated in symptom free cancer and HIV patients, healthy people over 60, and young, physically fit men preforming a weight training program.

That's right, healthy young men with low levels of these amino acids in their bodies actually lost muscle during a weight training program."1

When I was trying to cut up for the summer, I lowered my calories and continued with my current workout routine. After a week, I was skinny, but I was also smaller muscle wise. This really depressed me.

I went back to my normal eating habits and gained some of the muscle I lost back. Not too long after, I began to read about L-Glutamine and talk to people that took it. They said it prevented muscle lost when dieting. I decided I would try it. I now lowered my calories again and supplemented with L-Glutamine.

By the end of the week, my waist was slimmer and trimmer and my muscles were bigger. I cut my calories exactly as I had before, but this time I did not lose my hard earned muscle. By the way, I was taking 5 grams in the morning, 5 grams after my workout, and 5 grams before I went to bed.

Some people also need arginine and histidine.1 All these amino acids are used during weight training. The problem is, they also trigger high protein synthesis rates.

Therefore, it is important to take a supplement with these amino acids after training. These amino acids can also be found in meat, eggs, and milk.2 These amino acids assist in recuperation and growth. Amino acids must be present with high insulin to produce massive muscle growth.3

All About Creatine!Creatine is the most popular and commonly used sports supplement available today. There are numerous studies backed by anecdotal evidence that support the efficacy of creatine supplementation. [ Click here to learn more. ]

AST's HSC is designed to increase the insulin spike and increase creatine uptake. Excellent! VP2 has all of the essential amino acids needed after a workout as well as cysteine and 24 grams of high quality whey protein.

The grape juice is to increase to the insulin spike. I chose not to use milk with the VP2 because it would slow down the insulin spike.

Milk

The protein in milk is casein, which is 80% of the protein in milk.2 This casein protein contains all the essential amino acids that the body cannot create. The sugar in milk is called lactose. Some adults have trouble digesting lactose.

If this is the case, you might want to try lactose free milk. I choose skim milk here because it has no fat. Your fat does not need fat after a workout, hence the skim milk.

Honey's ability to enhance muscle recuperation and glycogen repletion is unknown to most people. Taking honey after a workout allows you to maintain higher blood sugar levels after training than most other carbohydrates.4

*I highly suggest viewing the articles that are linked to my article. They contain information that is vital to my article.